Automakers partner with Alibaba for home-to-vehicle connectivity

The solution connects customers with their cars through Tmall Genie, Alibaba A.I. Labs’ first smart voice assistant, to monitor their fuel levels, mileage and the status of the engine and battery, as well as providing customers control over their car doors, windows and air conditioning from home via voice command.

The feature is expected to launch in the near future, Alibaba said. Volvo plans to use the Tmall Genie service on its XC90, S90 and XC60 models. Daimler and Audi haven’t yet specified with which models the Tmall Genie service will work.

In the near future, customers of Mercedes-Benz CONNECT, Audi Connect and Volvo Cars with a Tmall Genie-compatible device will be able to monitor their cars and control vehicle functions from home.

“Identifying how to serve car users with our smart home assistant Tmall Genie is one of our top priorities. We are thrilled to partner with distinguished auto brands like Daimler, Audi and Volvo Cars to drive the revolution of smart mobility in China,” said Lijuan Chen, head of Alibaba A.I. Labs.